EAST LANSING, Mich. — Scholars in all humanities and social science disciplines from around the world as well as MSU community members with an interest in Central Eurasia will have opportunities to learn more as the Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) comes to host their annual international conference at MSU October 28-31.

Conference topics include: "Charting Kazakhstan's Trajectory in a Post-Crisis World," and "Constructions/Reconstructions of Muslim Identities Across Central Eurasia"

As a prelude to the conference, MSU and the University of Central Asia will sign an agreement to strengthen research collaborations between the institutions. The partners will work together in the areas of integrated rural development, environmental and natural resource management and capacity building. The agreement will be signed as part of Central Asia Day on Thursday, October 28, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the International Center. Open to the general public, this event will include three sessions and a keynote address on "Building Human Resources and Institutional Capacity for Sustainable Development of Central Asia," as well as a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between MSU and the University of Central Asia.

Hosted by the Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (CERS) and the Asian studies Center (ASC), the CESS Conference will begin on Friday morning and continue through mid-day Sunday. This international conference will address many aspects of humanities and social science scholarship on Central Eurasia through papers submitted and panels of experts arranged by the CESS. The program will feature approximately 45 panels and there will be a supplementary program including a welcome reception on Thursday, a conference dinner and a keynote speaker.

For more information on the CESS, visit https://www.cess.muohio.edu/index.html (/https://www.cess.muohio.edu/index.html).

For details on the events at MSU, visit http://asia.isp.msu.edu/announcements/announcement2.htm (http://asia.isp.msu.edu/announcements/announcement2.htm).